With my lawyer’s help, I filed for divorce, custody, and child support all at once. The papers were served to Garrett at his office on a Thursday morning.
I know because Mr. Peterson called me right after. The waiting was over.
“He seemed shocked,” the lawyer said. “I don’t think he expected you to find out so fast.”
That evening, Garrett came home early. His face was pale, and he carried the envelope like it was hot. He looked like a guy whose plan just fell apart.
“Eveline,” he started, putting the papers on the kitchen counter. “We need to talk.”
I was making Nora’s lunch for tomorrow, keeping my hands busy. “About what?”
“You know about what.” His voice was tight, defensive. “Look, I can explain—”
I turned to face him, and for the first time in weeks, I didn’t have to pretend.
“Explain what? How you’ve been taking money from our account? How you’ve been lying to our daughter’s school so you could take her on dates with your girlfriend?”
He stayed quiet for a minute, staring at me. Then he finally spoke.
“I haven’t been happy with you for a long time, Eveline. The spark between us is gone. Tessa and I… what we have is real. I was going to tell you eventually.”